Process for removing oxygen from vessels.



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Specification of Letters latent. Application filed July 14, 1910. Serial No. 678,010.-

. Patented Nov. 8, 1910.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known t at I, Ronnnr HOPI'ELT, a subject of the. King of Prussia, German Em ror, residing at Cologne-Klettenberg in t e Province of the Rhine, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have inventeda certain new and useful Process for Removing Oxygen from Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

In evacuating incandescent lamp bulbs or any other containers whatever it is particularly important to remove the oxygen and generally it is not very harmful if other gases are left behind. As a rule a mere rinsing of the container with for example hydrogen is not by any means suflicient since oxygen adheres to all solid bodies so as to be on y with diflicult detached therefrom and the hydrogen itse f contains quite a considerable amount of oxy en. Complete evacuation of the lamps has con efl'ected by means of phosphorous gases according to Malignani an good results have been obtained for carbon filament lamps. Lar or containers, as for example, vessels fortfie preparation or formation of incandescent filaments and all containers which are to be heated, cannot be evacuated by phosphorus since in the first lace the phosphorus in Malignanis process does not act by combustion but almost solely b the porosity of the resulting amorphous phosphorus by virtue of which it mechanically condenses all gases, nitrogen, hydrogen, water vapor, etc., as well asoxygen. It is further impossible without very great difiicultyto introduce the phosphorous gases into the container in su cient quantity since these gases are not easily led through long tubes and through cocks. Besides the phosphorous gases cannot be sufiiciently mixed with other gases. For example it is known that pure nitrogen cannot be produced by the combustion of phos horus in air.

The process hereina er described which permits of the removal of oxygen in all cases even to infinitesimal traces in the simplest way, rests merely on the combustion of phosposit of oxygen phorus to form oxygen phosphorus compounds.

If phosphorous halogen gases, for example phosphorus trichlorid are introduced 'together w1th hydrogen into a previously exhausted container by simply opening a cock, and if this gas mixture is then caused to explode or i lte by means'of an electric spark or better y means of an incandescent wire or the like, the phosphorous halo ens are split up by the hydrogen and the osphorus in a nascent state combines wit the oxygen present. In consequence of the good distribution of the gases the oxygen is diminished to a harmlessamount even in com paratively large containers. In order to secure a good mixture it is best to introduce first the phosphorous halogens and then the hydrogen. After ignition this gas mixture can be used for any desired urpose or it may be again removed b a resh exhaustion. In this case naturaily small amounts of the gas mixture remain but these are practically free from oxygen. The process therefore is not itself a since the vacuum attained is simply and solely de endent' upon the suction of the pumps. t is intended only to render the oxygen in the container or in the hydrogen 1 innocuous but not to remove nitrogen etc.

The hydrogen can then advant'a eously be used in the formation of metal fi aments or for other purposes. The amount of the phosphorous halogen is determined bythe amount of oxygen present. If there is much oxygen so that much of the phosphorous halogen is necessary a white dehosphorus compounds is formed- Natural y such a deposit would be disadvantageous in incandescent lamps and the process can only be used for this purpose if the incandescent lamp bulb and the hydrogen to be used contain but little oxygen. Obviously incandescent must be subsequently exhausted with parrocess of evacuation lamps ticularly good pumps as otherwise the filament would be disintegrated by stray currents. The process and the hydrogen purified by the same can articularly be used in.

the process of forming incandescent filaments and in evacuating incandescent; lamp 5 bulbs.

W hat I claim is:

Process for the elimination of oxygen from any desired containers by union of the oxygen with phosphorus, consisting in cans- 10 ing phosphorous-halogen gases mixed with hydrogen to ignite in the prc\-'ionsiy evacuated container. I

In testimony, whereof [I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT HOPFEUI. "V itncsscs 2 Louis VANoonY, lionmz'r I I} 1) UNLAI'. 

